What are the effects of energy poverty and interventions to ameliorate it on people's health and well-being?: A scoping review with an equity lens

Abstract Introduction: First responders are at greater risk of mental ill health and compromised well-being compared to the general population. It is important to identify strategies that will be effective in supporting mental health, both during and after the first responder’s career. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed database (1966 to October 1, 2020) and the Google Scholar database (October 1, 2020) using relevant search terms, truncation symbols, and Boolean combination functions. The reference lists of all relevant publications were also reviewed to identify further publications. Results: A total of 172 publications were retrieved by the combined search strategies. Of these, 56 met the inclusion criteria and informed the results of this overview paper. These publications identified that strategies supporting first responder mental health and well-being need to break down stigma and build resilience. Normalizing conversations around mental health is integral for increasing help-seeking behaviors, both during a first responder’s career and in retirement. Organizations should consider the implementation of both pre-retirement and post-retirement support strategies to improve mental health and well-being. Conclusion: Strategies for supporting mental health and well-being need to be implemented early in the first responder career and reinforced throughout and into retirement. They should utilize holistic approaches which encourage “reaching in” rather than placing an onus on first responders to “reach out” when they are in crisis.

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The Conceptualization of the Natural Environment in Healthcare Facilities: A Scoping Review

HERD Health Environments Research & Design Journal ◽

10.1177/1937586719845118 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 30-47

Author(s):

Peggy Chi ◽

Jennifer Gutberg ◽

Whitney Berta

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Natural Environment ◽

Well Being ◽

Work Outcomes ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

Therapeutic Goals ◽

Therapeutic Benefits ◽

Contact Frequency ◽

Nature Contact ◽

Health And Well Being

Objectives: To identify how the natural environment (NE) in healthcare has been conceptualized. Background: The NE appears to afford significant therapeutic benefits. A clear concept of the NE in healthcare affords a shared understanding from which to advance science to facilitate comparisons across contexts. In this article, the various meanings of the NE were brought together into one framework by which to map its themes and their relationships. Method: A scoping review was conducted using database searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane for articles published up to July 2018. The bibliography of the included articles were manually searched for published books. Results: This review includes 137 peer-reviewed articles and research-based books from 27 countries. A conceptual framework was developed to identify five themes that conceptualize the NE in healthcare: (1) definitions of the NE in healthcare, (2) processes of the NE in healthcare, (3) usages of the NE in healthcare, (4) opinions about the NE in healthcare, and (5) NE’s impacts on health and work outcomes in healthcare. These themes are filtered by the NE’s physical and programmatic designs; changes in one affect the others. Definitions of the NE are described as human-made space, located in the indoors and outdoors, containing elements of nature and designed with the purpose to positively influence humans. Processes are described as the participatory approach in NE's development and its therapeutic goals. Usages are categorized into nature contact, frequency of usage, and accessibility. Opinions are accounted for by perceptions, preference, and satisfaction. Outcomes are related to physical health, mental health and well-being and work. Conclusions: This framework contributes to the conceptual discussion and emphasizes NE’s complementarity to the biomedical healthcare system.

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Using digital storytelling to promote the sexual health and well-being of migrant and refugee young people: A scoping review

Health Education Journal ◽

10.1177/0017896917745568 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 77 (7) ◽

pp. 735-748 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jessica R Botfield ◽

Christy E Newman ◽

Caroline Lenette ◽

Kath Albury ◽

Anthony B Zwi

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Culturally Diverse ◽

Digital Storytelling ◽

Well Being ◽

Knowledge Gaps ◽

Diverse Backgrounds ◽

Digital Stories ◽

Health And Well Being

Objective: Digital storytelling and other methods of self-expression and autobiography have become an increasingly important tool for those working with young people, including those from migrant, refugee or other ‘culturally diverse’ backgrounds. A structured scoping review was undertaken to better understand the potential value and challenges of using digital stories to promote the health and well-being of these diverse groups of young people and to identify key knowledge gaps. Design: The review process comprised a systematic search of the literature and strategic consultations with professionals working with young people in the area of sexual and reproductive health promotion and care. A descriptive-analytic method was used to collate and synthesise the literature and apply narrative and thematic analyses. Results: In total, 28 papers were deemed eligible for inclusion. Findings are presented as two analyses: what is known from the literature and key knowledge gaps. Identified themes included the use of digital stories as social activism and as research intervention, recognition of digital stories as complex terrain and recommendations for good practice. Three key gaps of particular relevance to our research aims were identified. These were (1) the lack of digital stories on sexual health and relationships by ‘culturally diverse’ young people in Australia, (2) the need for discussion of the ethical considerations of using digital storytelling and related methods in sexual health fields and (3) the value of exploring opportunities to employ digital methods as self-representation and autobiography to generate new knowledge and build organisational capacity. Conclusion: As confirmed in discussions with professionals working in the youth, migrant and sexual health sectors, the literature highlighted the many potential applications of digital storytelling to promoting the sexual health and well-being of young people from diverse backgrounds. Additional research is required to understand the particular ethical and contextual issues shaping, and at times constraining, this engagement in specific cultural contexts.

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Health and Well-Being of Athletes During the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Scoping Review

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.641392 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Raven Haan ◽

Mariyam Essa Ali Alblooshi ◽

Dawood Hasan Syed ◽

Khaled Khalifa Dougman ◽

Hashel Al Tunaiji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Occupational Stress ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Well Being ◽

Professional Athletes ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Longitudinal Outcome ◽

Stress Dependent ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

Background: The ongoing global pandemic has become the world's leading health problem, causing massive public fear and concern. Reports suggest that athletes are seeking mental health support, showing the pressures of boredom, and tension associated with their anticipated social isolation. The current study seeks to evaluate the evidence regarding the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on occupational stress in professional athletes.Method: A scoping review was conducted. A comprehensive search involving Embase and PubMed databases was conducted using a combination of the following key words: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, and athletes. In this study, articles were retained if they were original studies reporting on the impact of the pandemic on professional athletes.Results: Nine studies were identified as they investigated the impact of the pandemic on athletes. Most were observational and cross-sectional, and one was longitudinal. Outcome measures mainly investigated were level of depression, anxiety, and stress. Dependent variables were physical activity, nutrition, mental state, sleep quality, individual well-being, social identity, exclusivity, negative affectivity, alcohol consumption, psychological distress, and gambling habits.Conclusions: This review highlights the need for proactive engagement with professional athletes, coaches, trainers, and sports councils to facilitate understanding and awareness-raising, process optimization, and delivery of consistent training and psychosocial aid and occupational therapy programs that maintain the health and well-being of athletes while minimizing occupational stress during a pandemic.

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A Scoping Review of Psychological Sense of Community among Community Dwelling Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3449 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 965-965

Author(s):

Thomas Buckley

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Sense Of Community ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Psychological Sense Of Community ◽

Psychological Sense ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract Psychological sense of community (PSOC) is an important construct for health and well-being outcomes for older adults. Drawing on the Ecological Theory of Aging and the Age-Friendly Cities (AFC) framework, this scoping review explored how PSOC has been used in research with community dwelling older adults. I followed Arksey and O’Malley's (2005) scoping review guidelines. Initial database searches yielded 860 articles. I included 33 in the final sample. I grouped articles based on study populations and conceptualization and operationalization of PSOC. I used thematic analysis to explore topic areas and main findings. The AFC framework guided development of themes and others emerged during analysis. Results show most studies used Asian or White samples and focused on geographic community or neighborhoods. Among the several measures of PSOC, the Brief Sense of Community Scale performed best with older adults. Topical research areas in the thematic analysis were built (1) built environment and neighborhoods, (2) social participation and connection, (3) civic participation, (4) PSOC as a protective factor, (5) health and well-being, (6) relocation, and (7) scale development. PSOC was a consistent predictor of health and well-being and served as a mediator to link neighborhood or environmental characteristics with health and well-being. Future research needs to examine PSOC in geographically and culturally diverse samples and conduct further psychometric testing of PSOC scales with older adults. PSOC is conceptually related to the AFC framework and serves as a mechanism that links AFC features and well-being outcomes. These results can inform practice and refine theory.

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What is the evidence for the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being: a scoping review and evidence-based logic model to guide healthcare strategy decision making on the use of gardening approaches as a social prescription

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-036923 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. e036923 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michelle Howarth ◽

Alison Brettle ◽

Michael Hardman ◽

Michelle Maden

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Well Being ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Long Term Conditions ◽

Logic Models ◽

Health Strategy ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

ObjectiveTo systematically identify and describe studies that have evaluated the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being. A secondary objective was to use this evidence to build evidence-based logic models to guide health strategy decision making about gardens and gardening as a non-medical, social prescription.DesignScoping review of the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being. Gardens include private spaces and those open to the public or part of hospitals, care homes, hospices or third sector organisations.Data sourcesA range of biomedical and health management journals was searched including Medline, CINAHL, Psychinfo, Web of Knowledge, ASSIA, Cochrane, Joanna Briggs, Greenfile, Environment Complete and a number of indicative websites were searched to locate context-specific data and grey literature. We searched from 1990 to November 2019.Eligibility criteriaWe included research studies (including systematic reviews) that assessed the effect, value or impact of any garden that met the gardening definition.Data extraction and synthesisThree reviewers jointly screened 50 records by titles and abstracts to ensure calibration. Each record title was screened independently by 2 out of 3 members of the project team and each abstract was screened by 1 member of a team of 3. Random checks on abstract and full-text screening were conducted by a fourth member of the team and any discrepancies were resolved through double-checking and discussion.ResultsFrom the 8896 papers located, a total of 77* studies was included. Over 35 validated health, well-being and functional biometric outcome measures were reported. Interventions ranged from viewing gardens, taking part in gardening or undertaking therapeutic activities. The findings demonstrated links between gardens and improved mental well-being, increased physical activity and a reduction in social isolation enabling the development of 2 logic models.ConclusionsGardens and gardening can improve the health and well-being for people with a range of health and social needs. The benefits of gardens and gardening could be used as a ‘social prescription’ globally, for people with long-term conditions (LTCs). Our logic models provide an evidence-based illustration that can guide health strategy decision making about the referral of people with LTCs to socially prescribed, non-medical interventions involving gardens and gardening.

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A Scoping Review of How Income Affects Accessing Local Green Space to Engage in Outdoor Physical Activity to Improve Well-Being: Implications for Post-COVID-19

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17249313 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (24) ◽

pp. 9313

Author(s):

Llinos Haf Spencer ◽

Mary Lynch ◽

Catherine L. Lawrence ◽

Rhiannon Tudor Edwards

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Research Question ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Well Being ◽

Green Spaces ◽

The Public ◽

Lower Socioeconomic ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being

Background: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has set out guidance for promoting physical activity (PA) in the physical environment to promote health and well-being. The aim of this selective scoping review was to investigate the influence of gross income on accessing local green spaces to engage in PA and the associated health benefits. Methods: A scoping review was conducted of international literature to facilitate the clarification of the research question. Findings: 15 papers were critically appraised under two themes: (1) environments and well-being and (2) PA and income/socioeconomic status and impact on the frequency, duration and opportunity to engage in PA. Interpretation: Income is related to differential use of green and blue spaces for PA, due mainly to access issues. People who live in lower socioeconomic areas tend to be more sedentary and there are also gender differences related to PA in built environments. Conclusion: There is an effect of income in using green spaces for PA, but the relationship is non-linear, and there is still a lack of knowledge about what kind of green spaces are best for health benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of accessing green local spaces to engage in physical exercise to improve well-being among the public.

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Relationship between cricket participation, health and well-being: scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032070 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. e032070

Author(s):

Garrett Scott Bullock ◽

Nirmala K Panagodage-Perera ◽

Andrew Murray ◽

Nigel K Arden ◽

Stephanie R Filbay

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Sport Participation ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Well Being ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Research Gaps ◽

Medicine Journal ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health And Well Being

IntroductionCricket is a popular sport played by 2.5 billion people of all ages and abilities. However, cricket participation is decreasing in the UK, despite an increased focus of governments on increasing sport participation to enhance public health. Understanding the health benefits and mitigating the health risks of cricket participation may help cricket organisations promote cricket participation while optimising the long-term health of cricket participants. Currently, there is no literature review on the relationship between cricket participation, health and well-being; thus, this relationship remains unclear. Therefore, the aims of this scoping review were (1) to investigate the relationship between cricket participation, health and well-being and (ii) to identify the research gaps related to cricket, health and well-being.Methods and analysisDue to the broad nature of our research question and the large number of health outcomes assessed within the cricket literature and to facilitate identification of research gaps, a scoping review methodology was used. The methodology of this paper was informed by previous scoping review protocols and best practice methodological frameworks. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Web of Science and PEDro and grey literature sources (Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN Registry and ProQuest) will be systematically searched. Studies that assess a construct related to health and/or well-being in current and/or former cricketers from all ages and standards of play will be eligible. Two reviewers will independently screen full texts of identiﬁed studies for eligibility and will perform data extraction. Results will be presented in tabular and graphical forms and will be reported descriptively.Ethics and disseminationThis research is exempt from ethics approval due to the data being available through published and public available resources. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed sports and exercise medicine journal regardless of positive or negative findings. In addition, results will be disseminated through multiple platforms, including conference presentations and social media using multimedia resources (eg, infographics, animations, videos, podcasts and blogs), to engage stakeholder groups, including cricketers, cricket coaches, sporting bodies, sports medicine professionals and policy makers. There findings will inform clinical decision making, policy changes and future research agendas.

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Health and Well-Being

Advances in Civil and Industrial Engineering - Health and Well-Being Considerations in the Design of Indoor Environments ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-7279-5.ch009 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 176-201

Author(s):

Nerea García Cortés ◽

Samuel Dominguez-Amarillo ◽

Jesica Fernandez-Agüera

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

At Risk ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Adult Population ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Economic Resources ◽

Indoor Environments ◽

Energy Poverty ◽

Health And Well Being

The older segments of the adult population in cities experience problems conditioned by the climate of each place. Since the 2003 heat wave which caused 70,000 heat deaths, the dramatic consequences of climate change and rising temperatures in Europe have led to the elderly being most at risk. Insufficient adaptability and economic resources among them also lead to repercussions on architecture, causing energy poverty issues as a result of a real consumption needed which is very different from the actual consumption. The demands of these people are determined by environmental stress, which differ greatly throughout the year. In addition, illnesses influence the daily health and the decrease in sensory capacity of the elderly, making them more vulnerable to constant changes. Faced with this problem, the main aim of this research is to analyse the degree of comfort and well-being of the elderly due to the environmental changes that occur in Andalusian rural homes in order to include some considerations in the design of indoor environments.

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